By N. Sri Ram , president of the Theosophical Society , published as
a booklet,
by The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Madras, India, 1960,
reprinted
from the Theosophist, march 1960)

President's Address,
Delivered on Re-election
february 17, 1960

N. Sri Ram

Having been just re-elected President of the Society, it would
perhaps
be not inappropriate for me to make some remarks relevant to the whole
business of an election, to the work of the Society as it stands at
present,
and the responsibilities of whoever happens to be the President. I want
first to say how deeply I appreciate the trust placed in me by members
in so many different parts of the world. I thank them all for the
expression
of their affection and good wishes.

The office to which I am called again is an office the
responsibilities
of which I ought to realize perhaps more than I did seven years ago.
The
President of the Theosophical Society is concerned not only with
administration;
in fact, that is only a small part of his responsibilities. He has also
to edit The Theosophist, which is described as "the organ of
The
Theosophical Society," and inevitably members throughout the world look
to him for some sort of guidance and direction. I always stress the
fact
that every single member should feel free to use his own judgment on
all
matters concerning the work, and in such a Society as ours, organized
for
Brotherhood, the activities of which must be based on mutual respect
and
freedom of the individual member, there can be no imposition from
above,
even with the best will in the world. Even so, the members do expect
the
President to disclose his mind and give a central lead with regard to
matters
which are important to all and concern the effective propagation of the
Wisdom. It is not for him merely to go with the current, to echo the
thoughts
of others by finding out what everybody would like him to say, and then
saying it. That would not be helping the work in reality. He has to
strike
that note which is needed and to which members in all parts of the
world
can respond in their freedom, out of their free understanding. Only in
that way can there be created the necessary solidarity in a Society
where
every Section, Lodge and member is free to follow its or his own line,
and yet there has to be unity. There has to be the spirit that will
hold
the body together in all its parts, and unity of action in the midst of
the diversity of individual temperaments and capacities, without which
the movement will stultify itself.

The note which the President strikes has to be just that note which
is needed at the moment, both by the Society and for conditions in the
world in general. For what we call Theosophical work is work for the
benefit
of humanity, its advance in a real sense, and its welfare. It is very
difficult
for anyone of us to know precisely what is the truth that is most
needed
at a particular time, and in what form it should be expressed,
considering
the circumstances and tendencies which obtain.

The character which the Society assumes and its effectiveness depend
not only upon the President, but upon every single member who calls
himself
a Theosophist. The Society has to be a united spiritual republic in
which
there is harmony and co-operation but each one finds that law within
himself,
really the law of his uniqueness, by which his action and thought
should
be governed. Each one should discover the light that is in himself, and
when he does so, he will shine with that light.

When I use the word "spiritual," it has of course a fullness of
meaning
which can never be completely expressed; but at least it has the
meaning
of unity and wisdom. Brotherhood means unity, and the first and most
definite
Object of the Society is the realization of the Universal Brotherhood,
which is easy to speak of but much more difficult to accomplish in
every
aspect of one's living, in every context in life. It is not enough
merely
to realize our unity in the abstract; it must inspire us to action with
a wisdom which applies to existing situations and problems. Wisdom is
to
judge and to act in every matter, whether great or small, but it has to
take the form of knowing how to adapt one's own actions, which should
spring
from such truth as one realizes, to the views, actions, and points of
view
of others.

As regards the President of the Theosophical Society, his judgment
as
to his policy has necessarily to be based upon some knowledge of the
minds
of the members, their difficulties and problems, as well as the trends
of thought in the world at large, without which it would be impossible
for him to afford any guidance that will really help or tell.

In the Society as it has grown and developed, there is room for
helpful
activities of whatever type. There are members who may say of something
in which they are specially interested: This is most important.
Perhaps,
it is, in its own way and for them, but then there are other groups to
which something else seems more urgent and real. But all these
different
points of view have in some way to be brought into harmony and
synthesized
by those who are responsible for the movement. In order to achieve such
a synthesis one has not merely to have an attitude of inclusiveness,
willingness
to consider everything worthwhile, but also a discrimination which
draws
the line clearly between what is good and what not. We must know our
dharma
and not fall for things that do not come within our province, that
might,
gathering momentum, even take the movement off its proper rails.

The spirit of the Wisdom, which is always more important than any
letter,
than any doctrine, should be manifested not merely in talks from the
platform,
in what we say to others, but also in the way we conduct our work. As I
have said at other times, in such a movement as The Theosophical
Society,
it is inconceivable to me that any individual who is a true Theosophist
can push himself forward, to the detriment of another. Therefore, all
electioneering,
overt or covert, which has in it the element of self-advancement seems
to me to be completely ruled out. If I may take the liberty of
intruding
a personal reference into this context, neither this time nor in the
previous
election in 1952-53 have I ever suggested to anybody, either directly
or
indirectly, that he or she should vote for me. Standing as a candidate
means to me only placing oneself at the disposal of one's
fellow-members.
If they ask one to act in a certain capacity and he finds he can do so,
accedes; otherwise he fulfils his dharma by doing something else. Above
all, there should be a feeling of brotherhood, which means no rivalry,
no competition, no attempt to outshine another, no seeking of any
success
except the success of Truth. I am saying this because such a spirit
will
greatly help the Society, giving it dignity and strength, whether in a
Section, Lodge, or the Society as a whole.

It has been said by a Master of the Wisdom that the movement was
brought
into existence in order that the crest-wave of intellectual advance may
be guided into channels of spirituality. One has only to look at the
world,
with its bombs, missiles, experimentation on animals, and other
brutalities
to see that the advance of modern civilization is surely not running in
that direction. Yet there are aspects of modern thought and knowledge
which
are of value.

Theosophy being the old-young Wisdom, the form it takes must
incorporate
into itself the best elements of the world's thought, and carry it
further.
Obviously, this is a task which is imposed not upon some one person,
but
upon all. There must be all the time on the part of each one a sense of
not only looking back to our sources, but also moving forward. This
means
moving forward not to any new position for oneself but out of one's
present
ruts and limitations. It is not seeking something new, discarding the
old;
for Truth is ageless. New meanings lie latent even in the old truth as
it has been stated. Our task is to make the relation between the old
and
the new, the ancient wisdom and modern thought, a relationship of
beauty,
of value and significance.

The world is moving inexorably, though almost invisibly, towards
that
unity in which alone lies the solution of its present troubles. And
every
Theosophist must help that movement, and also to establish in the world
by degrees a purer, nobler culture than what obtains today, a less
materialistic
outlook with a greater regard for one's fellow-beings, more humanity,
including
humaneness to those creatures which belong to what we call the lesser
kingdoms.
Each and everyone of us has this duty, and he should not merely talk of
the new era, but exemplify it in his life, in his actions, thinking,
behavior
and relationships. We have all read about the new age in different
terms,
as the new humanity of intuition, the Race which is yet to come, the
civilization
of the future, and so forth but the spirit of that future should be
manifested
by us here and now. Humanity stands at the end of an old and at the
very
beginning of a new, somewhat more spiritual cycle. The spiritual is
that
nature in ourselves which is truly beautiful, which is kind, in which
are
the truest values and which in action is always an exemplification of
the
fundamental unity of all beings.

It is only as we thus think, act and live, that we lay ourselves
open
to the help and guidance of Those at whose instance the Society was
launched.
Let me conclude my remarks by using those words of Dr. Annie Besant, so
hallowed, which have rung out so many times from the platform of the
Great
Hall at Adyar:

May those who are the embodiments of Love Immortal bless
with
Their continued help and guidance the Society founded to further Their
plans and work.
May They inspire it with Their Wisdom, sustain it by Their power and
energize it with Their activity.
May we deserve that blessing and go forward under its aegis to new
heights where there is a larger vision, and with that vision and its
inspiration
help, each in his way, to make life more beautiful, gentler, and better
than it is at present.